The Waltz of the Tiger
by MissJosephineTaylor
Summary: The tale of how beauty becomes ugly. Of how a woman becomes a monster. Of how Batman must learn to dance the waltz of the Tiger. - The origin story of my Batman villain OC, Anastasia Dmitry AKA The Russian Jaguar.


Gotham City, 1974

America was different from Russia. Very different. There was less snow, less trees, less wilderness, and the city was more alive. People weren't hiding in their homes because of the cold or from fear of the KGB here, but rather swarming the streets, the shops, and parks like hornets in a their nest.

Anastasia gawked at the people that passed outside the fencing that enclosed the two acre lot the Pasternak Brothers had rented out for their circus. She noticed how they would occasionally stare at the working Russians as they all worked to set up their tents and carnival-like exhibits and stalls dedicated to games.

"Ana, keep a tight hold," Kalev Dmitry ordered in his deep tone and used his enormous hands to position Anastasia's holding on a thick rope back into place so he could properly nail it into the ground. "I would imagine that you would hate to have our tent to fall down in the middle of our performance, eh?" He asked playfully with a grin as he finally took the rope from her, coiled it into a loop, then pounded an iron nail through the rope and into the ground with two great pounds of his metal mallet.

"Papa, why are they staring at us?" Anastasia asked after her father was finished, her eyes wandering back to the passing pedestrians.

"Who, _milaya_?" He asked and crouched so he could be level with her. "Them?" He asked and gestured to the gawking Americans.

She nodded, " _Da_."

"They are Americans, they stare at everything that is the opposite of them," Kalev said quite bluntly. It didn't surprise him that some of the people had looks of distrust in their eyes upon the arrival of a band of Russians as they were in the midst of the Cold War. "But they also stare when a person of beauty is in their presence. An American, like a Russian, admires a beauty whenever he can." He added and gently pinched Anastasia's cheek before getting back on his feet. They were finished with the chore of nailing the ropes tied to the support beams meant to hold up the main circus tent, which, when completely set up and ready for operation, was the size of a large ice rink. "Come along, _milaya_ , there is still plenty of preparing for us to do before our show tomorrow."

"I wonder if they will like our circus?" Anastasia pondered aloud as she gathered the long remainders of their rope after Kalev cut it with his pocket knife. Even though she still held a great amount of rope in her arms, some still dragged behind her like a tail of nylon and polyester as she trotted after her father.

"Of course they will like our circus!" Slava, the snake-man, boasted and puffed out his barrel chest as he passed Anastasia while carrying multiple planks of wood over his huge shoulders where he would usually wear a monstrous snake as if it were a scarf. His pale skin was dirtied with patches of strange, grey-green scales and his eyes glowed orange and gold like a warm fire while two curved fangs protruded from beneath his upper lips like sabers. "We are a Russian circus, the best kind there is! Why would anyone dislike it?"

Anastasia puffed out her chest like his and followed close behind him. "Right! We are a Russian circus!" She repeated with her tone high with pride. "We are the best!"

Kalev laughed deeply when he saw his daughter trying to mimic the lengthy and heavy strides of a prideful man, but ultimately failing with her tiny, five-year-old figure. "Indeed we are, and that is why I have a little surprise for you." He said as Anastasia dropped the rope just outside the door of their rickedy trailer.

"A surprise?" Her soft green eyes illuminated upon the mentioning of a surprise. "What kind of surprise, Papa?"

"Close your eyes, _milaya_ ," He instructed before he lifted her with his strong arms until she sat atop his broad shoulders.

She squeaked a small giggle and buried her face into her father's dark brown, thick curls while also lightly tugging his beard with her small hands.. "Okay, Papa."

Kalev would sway as he walked and made silly sounds as he pretended to be a horse, making Anastasia giggle again from beneath his curls. This continued for a few moments before she was removed from her spot on his shoulders while she kept her hands over her eyes and when the familiar smell of Kalev's lions met her nose, she began to bounce with excitement as she began to narrow down her guesses on her surprise. She felt the nose of Kalev's largest lion, Levi, nuzzle against her arm, making her guess they were in the cage that held her father's lions and tigers. She returned the gesture by kissing Levi's cold wet nose while remembering to keep her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes, _milaya_." Kalev's voice finally broke Anastasia away from the sound of Levi's affectionate growls as he urged her hands to touch something warm and soft. When she did so, her eyes were met with a tiger cub with fur as orange as fresh marmalade with stripes black as ink. The cub stared at her with dark hazel grey eyes, contemplating her being. "With this little cub, you will officially become a tiger-tamer, just as I was at your age!"

Anastasia's mind lacked any way for her to properly thank her father for the gift. She stroked the cub's back with gentle hands as he bumped his head into her chest with a quiet chuff. She giggled when he licked her hand with his rough tongue. " _Spasibo_ , Papa!"

"I even had Miss Nikonov make a costume for you, but I will save _that_ surprise for tomorrow," Kalev added with an eager grin. "How does that sound?"

Anastasia smiled brightly with an eager nod as she pulled her new feline companion close to her for an embrace. "It sounds amazing, Papa."


End file.
